Automatic signal for railway-crossings.



PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908. A. ARETZ. AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY GROSSAPPLICATION FILED DEO.13. 1907.

mnnnn EIFIFIFIWUFIUTITI rm- NORRIS PETERS co., W/uHHyoluN. u. c

ALBERT ARETZ, OF TARENTUM, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY-OROSSINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Application filed December 13. 1907. Serial No. 406.344.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT ARETZ, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Tarentum, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Signals for Railroad-Crossings, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an automatic signal for railroad crossings,and the primary object of the invention is to provide positive andreliablemeans for operating a visible or audible signal at a railroadcrossing, prior to a locomotive or train reaching the crossing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device adapted to beautomatically actuated for sounding an audible signal, such as a bell,whereby pedestrians at a crossing will be warned upon the approach of alocomotive or train. To this end, I use a bell tower located at acrossing, a considerable distance away from the crossing, and upon oneside of the railroad track I locate a device adapted to be actuated by alocomotive or train to ring the bell in the tower located at thecrossing. The device is constructed whereby it will be normallymaintained in position to be operated by a locomotive or train, and itsconstruction prevents the forces of-nature from interfering with theoperation of the signal.

The detail construction entering into my invention will be presentlydescribed and then specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing: Figure 1 is a plan of my signal, and a portionof a railroad track or crossing, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view ofthe operating device of'the signal, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of thesame, Fig. 4 is an elevation of a signal tower constituting part of myinvention, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the bell of thesignal tower.

In the accompanying drawing, 1 designates a railroad track transverse bya road or pavement 2.- Contiguous to the pavement or road 2, I locate abell tower comprising standards 3 suitably braced as at 4. The upperends of these standards are connected by a transverse bar 5 from whichis suspended a hanger 6, carrying a dome-shaped bell 7 and a pivotedclapper 8.

A considerable distance away from the bell tower, I mount the operatingdevice of my signal, this device being located upon a suitablefoundation 9 in close proximity to one of the rails 10 of the track 1,preferably the rail upon the same side of the track as the bell tower.The device comprises a' casing 11 suitably secured to the foundation 9,as at 12. In the casing is located a depending plunger 13 carried by acap 14, this cap having depending flanges 15 surrounding the casing 11and preventing water, dirt or foreign matter from entering the casing,and interfering with the movement of the plunger 13 therein. The plunger13 is. supported upon a coil spring 16 which is adapted to normally holda cap 14 above the tread of the rail 10, and in order that the wheels ofa locomotive or train can easily impinge and depress the cap 14 I bevelthe same as at 17. The casing 11 is provided with an extension 18, andj-ournaled in said extension is a grooved pulley 19. I

. The casing 11 is preferably located upon the inner side of the rail10, whereby the flange of the wheel can easily operate the device, andupon the outer'side of the rail adjacent to the operating device, Ilocate another foundation 20, this foundationcarrying a suitable bearing21 for a horizontal grooved sheave 22.

Connected to the lower end of the plunger 18 is a cable 23, said cablepassing over the pulley 19, sheave 22 and extending along the track 1.The cable passing under a sheave 24 carried by one of the standards 2 ofthe bell tower, the cable then extending upwardly, and connecting'withthe clapper 8 of thebell.

To prevent the beveled cap 14 from being forced from the casing 11 bythe tension of the spring 16, I provide the sides of the easing 11 andthe flanges 15 with pierced lugs 25, and passing through said lugs arerods 26 having threaded ends 27 for nuts 28. The nuts upon the ends ofthe rods 26 are adapted to prevent the recoil of the spring 16 fromdisplacing the plunger 13.

It is thought that the operation of my invention will be fullyunderstood, and I reserve the right to use a visible signal in lieu ofthe audible signal, and to make such changes in the construction of theinvention as are permissible by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new, is:

1. In a signal the combination with a rail, of a bell tower locatedadjacent to said rail, a

' beveled cap carried by said plunger and having depending flangessurrounding said casing, said cap extending above the tread of saidrail, rods arranged at opposite sides of said casing for preventing thedisplacement of'said cap, a pulley j ournaled in said casing, a cableconnected to said plunger and passing over said pulley, a sheave locatedadjacent to said rail, a sheave carried by said bell tower,

said cable passing over said sheave and connecting with the pivotedclapper of said tower, substantially as described.

2. In a signal, the combination with a rail,

a of a bell tower located adjacent thereto, a

bell arranged in said tower, a pivoted clapper adapted to strike saidbell, an operating device arranged adjacent tosaid rail and aconsiderable distance from said tower, said device comprising a casing,a spring supported plunger, a beveled cap carried by said plunger andextending above the tread of said rail, a cable connecting with saidplunger, and with the clapper of said bell tower, and means forpreventing the displacement of said plunger with relation to saidcasing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein the presence of twowitnesses.

' ALBERT ARETZ. Witnesses:

JOHN DERIKORETT,

OMER J. MANANDIsE.

